Whatever their chosen method, Americans bathe zealously. A study conducted found that we t

ake an average of 4.5 baths and 7.5 showers each week and in the ranks of non-edible items purchased by store customers, bar soap ranks second, right after toilet paper. We spend more than $700 million annually on soaps, but all work the same way. Soap is composed of molecules that at one end attract water and at the other end attract oil and dirt, while repelling water. With a kind of pushing and pulling action, the soap loosens the bonds holding dirt to the skin.

Unless you're using a germicidal soap, it usually doesn't kill the bacteria—soap simply removes bacteria along with dirt and oil. Neither baths nor showers are all that necessary and unless you're in a Third World country where infectious diseases are common, or you have open sores on your skin, the dirt and bacteria aren't going to hurt. The only reason for showering or bathing is to feel clean and refreshed. There is a physiological basis for this relaxed feeling. Your limbs become slightly buoyant in bathwater, which takes a load off muscles and tension. Moreover, if the water is hotter than normal body temperature, the body attempts to shed heat by expanding the blood vessels near the surface of the skin, lessening the circulatory system's resistance to blood flow, and dropping blood pressure gently. A bath is also the most effective way to hydrate the skin. The longer you soak, the more water gets into the skin and because soap lowers the surface tension of the water, it helps you hydrate rapidly and remove dry skin flakes.

However, in a bath, all the dirt and grime and the soap in which it's suspended float on the surface. So when you stand up, it covers your body like a film. The real solution is to take a bath and then rinse off with a shower, however, after leaving a tub or freshly exposed skin becomes a playground for microbes. In two hours, you probably have as many bacteria on certain parts of the body, such as the armpits, as before the bath.

The statement "Americans bathe zealously"(Line 1, Para. 1) is closest to saying ______.

A．Americans bathe wastefully

B．Americans are rather ambivalent to bathing

C．Americans bathe with intense enthusiasm

D．Americans bathe too much